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Footnotes: 1 The North American warrior caused the hair to be plucked
from his whole body; a small tuft was left on the crown of
his head, in order that his enemy might avail himself of it,
in wrenching off the scalp in the event of his fall. The
scalp was the only admissible trophy of victory. Thus, it
was deemed more important to obtain the scalp than to kill
the man. Some tribes lay great stress on the honor of
striking a dead body. These practices have nearly
disappeared among the Indians of the Atlantic states.
2 The hunting-shirt is a picturesque smock-frock, being
shorter, and ornamented with fringes and tassels. The colors
are intended to imitate the hues of the wood, with a view to
concealment. Many corps of American riflemen have been thus
attired, and the dress is one of the most striking of modern
times. The hunting-shirt is frequently white.
3 The rifle of the army is short; that of the hunter is
always long.
4 The Mississippi. The scout alludes to a tradition which is
very popular among the tribes of the Atlantic states.
Evidence of their Asiatic origin is deduced from the
circumstances, though great uncertainty hangs over the whole
history of the Indians.
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